Thank You, Ruth

In her 57 years of life, Ruth Samuelson was many things to many people. Among her many roles: wife, mother, friend, mentor – and a principled change-maker. Today and in the years to come, NC Sustainable Energy Association cherishes the legacy of Ruth, a Republican who saw past the traditional “us vs. them” and fought for North Carolina’s sustainable energy future.

It has been said that Ruth saw her conservative and conservationist principles as complementary. That was evident in her actions as both a private citizen and a NC House Representative. Throughout her impressive eight-year tenure at the NC General Assembly, Ruth acted boldly to support the growth of clean energy in North Carolina. And she did it with tact, with grit, and with grace.

As a result, Ruth garnered attention and bipartisan respect as a unique voice and champion for clean energy policies. In 2014, NCSEA recognized Ruth with our inaugural Excellence in Public Policy Award. Then-Rep. Samuelson understood fully why clean energy works for North Carolina: To her, the issue of sustainability transcended politics, as she saw its ability to benefit both our beloved NC natural resources, as well as our economy.

In today’s polarized political environment, as The Charlotte Observernoted, “We need more Ruth Samuelsons – especially now”. We couldn’t agree more. Until then, we will go forward in her memory, honoring Ruth with work that serves to unite and benefit everyone in our great and diverse State.